When Life takes an unexpected turn
by The TrendSetter
Summary: The question jerked Freddy out of his thoughts. 'I asked if I can help you with the papers. Freddy was surprised. People usually pushed boring jobs like sorting papers and checking on things to him. 'What could be troubling him', thought Freddy. The more he stared at him, the more he was convinced that he needed help. 'I'm not the only one in trouble', he realised.
1. Chapter 1

He came walking in, his face devoid of any fathomable expression. He wasn't his usual self and he knew that. What was it that was troubling him? He wasn't sure. He wasn't sure at all. He was oblivious to the laughs and chatter going on in the bureau. He needed to think. He needed someone to confide in. But whom could he go to? Everyone made fun of him. Of course they loved him, but that was only because he made them laugh. Did they love him as an individual? He wasn't sure.

As he stood staring at the happy faces of his colleagues, he remembered the times when he was among the group having fun. But now things have become different, so different….

"Bhoo", the sound startled him from his thoughts. "What happened Freddy sir?" asked Vivek, the ever chirpy, ever enthusiastic young officer. He had joined the team barely a year back and was much younger than any of the other officers. But there was something in him that made anyone instantly take a special liking to him. "Nuh.. Nuh.. Nothing", he stammered. Vivek wasn't very convinced. But unfortunately for him, just as was about to prod any further, he was summoned by ACP Pradyman and had to leave. Freddy followed him with his eyes into the ACP's room. 'Should I tell him?' he thought to himself, but then decided against it because he was a tad too young.

'Who else can I go to?' thought Freddy. 'There was ACP Pradyuman. No, he wouldn't even listen him out. He was growing very impatient these days, especially with him. What about Daya? He should be able to help. But no! He would not take him seriously at all. He would just make fun of him and tease him about it for many days to come. To confide in Daya isn't a very wise decision. Abhijeet? Nah', he decided against Abhijeet even before he could think any further, for anything that was told to Abhijeet would reach Tarika and then the whole team. 'No! Telling Abhijeet wouldn't do', he said to himself.

No sooner than the words escaped his mouth, he felt a tap on his shoulder. "Telling Abhijeet WHAT wouldn't do? Eh?", 'Nuh,.. Nuh.. Nuh.. Nothing Sir!', he stammered again. Thankfully Abhijeet just then, received a call and so did not try investigating any further. He kept staring at Abhijeet who was now on the phone with his beloved Tarika-ji. 'Doesn't he have any problems in life? He seems content and happy always. Lucky Abhijeet', he thought to himself.

Pushing his thoughts aside, he went to his desk and found a pile of papers that needed sorting waiting for him. Wearily picking them up he went across the room to the conference table so he could have more space to spread the papers out. It was then that he saw him. Sitting across the table was a rather quiet man. Sachin had joined the CID only about a week ago, and in the one week he had been at work, no one had noticed him much. He buried himself in the previous case files since they did not have a case on hand. He seemed to come in much before anyone else and left much later after the others. The others had tried talking to him on one or two occasions before, but since he spoke nothing beyond the answer to the question asked, the others soon began ignoring him.

'Can I help you with the papers?'

The question jerked Freddy out of his thoughts. He wanted to kick himself right in the middle. Just when he decided that he wasn't going to let his problems get the better of him, he had started dreaming again.

'I asked if I can help you with the papers. I don't have much on my plate today. So we can sort the papers together', said Sachin again.

Freddy was surprised. People usually pushed boring jobs like sorting papers and checking on things to him. And there was this man who has offered to share it with him. Something was wrong. 'He must be trying to play a prank on me like everyone else. What audacity', he thought to himself, but to Sachin , he simply said 'No. I'll manage'

As he worked on sorting his pile of papers out, his gaze fell on Sachin again. How composed he looked - his posture, his looks, his earnestness; it reminded Freddy of someone, whom, he couldn't say just then. As he continued to stare, he began noticing it. Within the carefully constructed look of a confident officer, was a crumbling heart – and he could see it. 'What could be troubling him?', thought Freddy. The more he stared at him, the more he was convinced that he needed help. 'I'm not the only one in trouble then', he thought aloud.

'Did you say something, sir?' asked Sachin.

Sir! That was the first time someone of the same designation called him sir. He immediately warmed up to Sachin. He felt guilty at rejecting his earlier offer to help. He wanted to make amends. He wanted to know what was troubling the young man. He wanted to help.

'Uh.. Actually I was just wondering if you help me with these. I only seem to be making a bigger mess', he said with a helpless look.

'Of course sir', said Sachin as he came over.

He picked up the bunch of papers that had fallen to the ground and made them into a neat pile. He then got a few clips from his table and began clipping papers into various sets as he sorted them out. The whole action was being done in the most efficient manner that all Freddy could was stand and look with awe. He had been struggling with the papers for a whole hour and here was a man, who in 15 minutes flat, sorted the whole thing out.

'I hope I've done it right, sir', said Sachin as he handed over the papers to Freddy.

'Oh yes', Freddy replied 'by the way, aren't you happy here at CID?', he continued.

Sachin seemed a bit startled. 'Yes sir, definitely', he said, though he sounded unsure. He avoided looking at Freddy in the eye and began looking down.

Not the one to give up, Freddy continued, 'There must be something else then. Why are you in your own world? You smile. But I know it isn't from your heart. I'm sure you are troubled. Tell me and I'll try and help you out', he offered.

Sachin seemed all the more unsure. He was waiting for someone to be nice to him since the day he joined CID. But no one had. And he had lost all hopes of being able to make a friend. Now, there is a person who is being nice to him. But he was the clown of CID. The others called him that. The always jeered him and made fun of him. They never took him seriously.

Now, for the big question.

Can he trust him? If his subordinates, who have known him for many years, consider him a dunce, how can he trust him? He turned around to look at Freddy, who was now at his table trying to file the papers that he just sorted for him. The man seemed troubled as well. 'He needs me more than I need him', realized Sachin. He dropped the book he was reading and walked over to his table.

'Sir', he said 'Could you spare some time for me?'

To be continued…

A/N:

Guys, this is my first story ever. Do give me your honest reviews so I can better my writing.

To those of you who like it, I'm honored, and to those who don't, I'll do my best in making my future works better.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N:

To all of those who took time off your hectic schedule to read and review Chapter 1, Thank You. This chapter is the result of your support and encouragement.

...

'Me?' Freddy said looking around, as if expecting someone else. Though he had asked Sachin to come out with his problems, he never really expected him to. 'Sure', he blurted out, still quite unsure 'Lets go down to the canteen. Its sure to be empty at this time of the day'.

'Canteen?' asked Sachin flabbergasted. 'Can we go somewhere else - a restaurant or coffee house perhaps', he suggested.

'My wife has told me not to..' began Freddy, but then hurriedly went on to say 'Ah.. OK. We will go to a restaurant'. It wouldn't do to let a new officer, and that too someone only a week old in CID, think he is henpecked.

HENPECKED!

There was that dreadful word again. Was he really henpecked? No. He couldn't be. Manisha would have told him if he was. No. How would she? How was she to know? Infact, her orders, and his obedience to them was what made people call him that. Still. Henpecked? Surely, he wasn't all that bad.

That was one of the things that had been troubling him. Nearly everyone he was associated with, called him that. Was it just a joke? He wasn't sure. It certainly didn't sound like a joke to him. It pained to be at the receiving end every time, every single time. He was yet another human - flesh and blood complete. He had feelings too. Why didn't the others realize that? Or did they? And yet behave indifferently? He couldn't be sure. The truth was that, he didn't want to believe the latter statement.

Preoccupied with these thoughts, he walked ahead. With every single step he took, Sachin could make out the remarkable changes on his facial expressions. He had been observing him for quite some time now and the latter hadn't even realized that. He was now sure that there was something disturbing him. But how was he to find out? Should he just ask? No. He may not want to confide in a new entrant. Should he wait? Maybe he could approach the subject in the course of their luncheon conversation. That would be easier. And that was a smarter move. He decided to wait.

Their long walk took them to Masala Mantar, a small, desi restaurant situated in a remote corner of the city. The ramshackled place, found teeming with people at night, because of its proximity to the highway, wore a deserted look, during the day. 'Just the right kind of place for a heart to heart conversation', thought Sachin as they walked in.

'Welcome to Sharma's Masala Mantar sir. What you like, we give sir', chanted an enthusiastic little boy with sparkling eyes in his broken English as he handed over a shabby menu card to Freddy. 'Oh my! What a royal welcome!' Freddy exclaimed as he took the card from the smiling boy's little, yet overworked hands. 'What will you have Sachin?', he asked as he read out the names of a few of the interesting dishes. But all he got in reply was silence. Utter silence. When he turned around to look at his companion, he was in for a shock.

Sachin had faraway look in his eyes as he sat and stared at the boy, who was now merrily whistling a tune as he cleared the table a few feet away. 'Now what is it that is troubling him?' thought Freddy. 'He looks more scared than troubled.'

'Sachin', he called. No answer. 'Sachin', he called again, a little louder this time. The only other customer in restaurant, sitting on the table in the farthest corner, turned around clearly irritated, his displeasure quite evident on his hard face. 'Sachin', he called again, this time, accompanied by a sharp nudge that resulted in the dropping of the tray that held water glasses, all filled to the brim. While the act did the trick of bringing Sachin back to his senses, it not only jolted the poor unsuspecting Sachin out of his thoughts, but also the stray dog with a snipped tail, lying across the entrance hoping for some leftover scraps.

The dog's angry yelps brought the inquisitive neighbors into the restaurant much to the owner's anguish. He glared angrily at the two of them, before proceeding to shoo the neighbors off. After their initial embarrassment faded, and food they ordered arrived, each in his own mind decided to begin.

'Actually, I wanted to….', both stopped short for they had begun with the same sentence at the same time. They looked at each other in utter disbelief. 'You begin sir', said Sachin as he broke the silence. 'No. You are younger. You say', countered Freddy.

Not left with much of a choice, Sachin finally opened up. He found it difficult to begin with. But slowly, yet steadily he explained his predicament.

'It began when I was five sir', he began 'My parents, sister and I were on our way to Lonavala for a vacation when it happened. It's all still fresh in my mind. We were all singing loudly and enjoying the trip when a truck coming from the opposite direction rammed into our car. It all happened within a minute. All I could see was blood. My little sister, who was playing with me just minutes before the incident, was lying motionless by my side. My parents were there too, covered in blood, unable to move.' he shivered as he spoke, and tears uncontrollable ran down his cheeks.

Freddy got up and moved his chair a little closer so that he could put his arms around the weeping Sachin and comfort him. 'Its ok', he said 'if you don't want to continue….' He left the last sentence mid way. He knew that it will make Sachin better to have that load off his heart. But he did not want to force him into telling it all. He decided to give him the option – of coming out with it or not.

But Sachin, not realizing what happened around him, continued ' A few locals came towards the car and on seeing everyone covered in blood, ran away. Since I had by then managed to crawl out, one of them took me along.' said he wiping his tears. 'I was with him for about seven years. I did odd jobs in his tea stall until he sold me to a childless couple for money. This child here, reminded me of myself when I was young', he paused, just enough to have a sip of water and continued ' Those people managed to put me in a school. I studied hard and won scholarships. That was what enabled me to study further. I enrolled myself for CID coaching while at college so I could be of some use to the nation. But I was taunted at every training camp when the boys, most of them who were from an elite background, got to know my past. They could never accept an orphan as a friend. And that hurt sir. Really hard.' he concluded.

There was silence as Sachin finished his narration. The only sound that could be heard was the creaking of the old fan that hung precariously above their heads. For a minute, Freddy forgot about Sachin and began calculating the probability of the fan falling on their heads. After a few seconds though, he gave up on it citing his inability at getting a simple arithmetic problem right. He shifted his focus back on to Sachin.

He was trying to think for the right sort of comforting words to say. 'I wish ACP sir was here now' he thought to himself. 'He always seemed to know the right things to say'. He looked at the teary eyed heartbroken man in front of him. Why, only hours before he looked so confident and perfect. And now, he seemed a new man - very different from the Sachin he had been seeing until about 2 hours before. 'God does everything for a reason', he finally blurted out. He wasn't sure if it was right for the situation. Nevertheless, since that was something he had heard Manisha use often to comfort her friends; he decided to use it here.

The words seemed to be taking effect.

Sachin did seem a bit comforted. He looked up at Freddy, with the innocence of a 5 year old and earnestly asked him 'Do you think I'll still be accepted… you know.. in the bureau… with my background and all?'

'DO YOU THINK I'LL STILL BE ACCEPTED?', the words kept ringing in Freddy's head again and again. That was yet another question that had been racking his brains in the past week. Acceptance was something Freddy always longed for. It was the very thing that he strived for. But was he?

He had been 'part' of the CID team for more than a decade and a half. Yet the question still persists "Am I really a 'part'?"

...

A/N: Well! Like I said before, this is my first story ever. I'm not really sure if this works. Do give me your honest reviews so I can better my writing.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N:

This update, I know has been long due. Sorry that I took so long. Do continue lending me your support. I need them :)

...

He was so emotionally lost in his thoughts that he never even realized that he was crying – that is, until a worried Sachin kept calling him to get his attention. 'What happened sir? You seem very upset. What exactly is the matter?', he asked, his face clearly reflecting his concern for the elder gentleman. 'Eh? No. Nothing. The... The… The food has gone cold.' he said, pointing to his plate on the table.

'Sir!', said Sachin amazed 'Surely, that cant be the reason for your tears.'

'Oh that!', said Freddy with a watery smile and shifted his gaze to the floor. Sachin couldn't really bear it any longer. True. He had only been with the team for a week. But this man in front of him was not Freddy he knew, not the one he heard of nor the one he had been seeing, even if it was only for a week. And he couldn't bear it. 'Sir. Trust Me.' he said.

And that was all that was needed to get Freddy started.

Amidst a lot of grumbling and tears, the truth finally came tumbling out. 'I don't have any friends Sachin. None at all' he said sobbing. 'No one seems to want me. They don't even acknowledge my presence. I'm sure they wouldn't even notice my absence if I leave. Why? Even that little fellow Vivek, he is always scheming new pranks to play on me. Tell me. Would you do that to someone you love? Forget love. Would you even do that to someone you like?'

Sachin was surprised beyond measure. In the one week he spent at the bureau, he had always felt a little envious of Freddy because he seemed to be the most popular person around. But now, it is THAT same man who was crying for want of friends, for want of companions, for want of love, and most of all, for acceptance. 'What is it coming to these days?', he thought wearily as he tried to console the now, howling Freddy. 'Sir', he began 'Looks like we are taking turns to howl', he said, grinning at his first attempt at humor.

But there was nothing that could console Freddy. Now that he had started it, he wanted to get it all out. He wanted to feel lighter. He wanted help - He wanted to be helped.

'Manisha was teasing me yesterday. She called me fat. She told me that I look old. And when I came to the bureau and narrated the incident to everyone, ACP sir just banged his head with his hands and walked out. Daya sir pretended not to hear while Abhijeet sir said that she was right. Vivek listened to the whole thing and instead of sympathizing with me, kept giggling and said that it served me right. Why? Even you never came to me with one word of solace', he said. 'But Sir', began Sachin, only to be cut off by Freddy. 'I know Sachin! I know!', he continued. 'None of you guys want me around. I am not as smart as you. I am not very intelligent. I am not ver… very.. very good looking. And I am fat. So you guys don't like me. I know.', he concluded.

'Oh Sir, We all love you. Why do you think we don't?' asked Sachin flabbergasted. 'You are the nicest officer around. You are the reason for the liveliness in the bureau. We all love you Sir', he said.

Freddy said nothing. He just kept staring at his plate, choking back tears and refused to look up even as Sachin spoke. 'Sir', he began again. It now seemed a little easier to reason out because Freddy had calmed down a little. 'I cant speak for the others. I don't know what they think. But I have a mind of my own, and I know exactly what I want. I think you are the nicest person I've ever had the chance to meet and I like you for what you are. I didn't come to you that day because I was shy. I didn't realize that it would hurt you so much. I have never had a friend. And I still don't have one. Will you be my friend?'

Freddy was surprised beyond measure. The earnestness in his companion's voice had moved him. He looked closely at the man sitting opposite him. He did not look like the perfect commando anymore. He looked like a tiny tot, on his first day in the new school, eager and desperate to make new friends. A tiny smile escaped his lips. He reflected back on the days' events. Sachin had helped him with his paperwork back at the bureau. He then brought him out for lunch. He confided in him. And he listened to all of his problems as well. This was what all friends did. Wasn't it? 'Yeah. So he is my friend', thought Freddy with a smile. 'And I am his friend'.

'Of course Sachin', he said beaming. And Sachin smiled back, happy at being accepted for the first time. It was a new feeling - a great feeling, something he had never had the chance to experience before. 'Freddy sir – My first friend; My best friend. I will do anything to make him happy, to instill in him the confidence he lacks, to make him realize that he is very much wanted and accepted, and most of all to keep him happy', he decided. 'Sachin in the nicest man I've seen', thought Freddy in-turn, as he looked at him smiling to himself.

'Sir. Finished?' the question came in as a surprise. The little boy, who had cleaned the table earlier and given them the menu card stood at their table waiting for an answer. That was the question that brought both of them back to reality. They suddenly realized that the restaurant wasn't empty anymore. It was teaming with a bunch of impatient people, all of who were in a hurry to get their orders served. The waiters were busy going up and down with food and drinks. The officers were taken aback at the sight. 'Um.. Yeah… You can bring the bill', Sachin managed to say. 'Bill for table no. 7', yelled the boy across to man sitting at the billing counter, as he began clearing their table.

The bill arrived just as they were getting ready to leave. Both Freddy and Sachin had walked into the restaurant with a heavy heart. They felt much lighter now, and happier - and as a gesture of spreading their happiness, Freddy gave the little boy a 1000-rupee note.

And then it happened!

It shocked the poor unsuspecting Freddy and Sachin. They were surprised beyond measure and didn't exactly know how to react.

...

A/N:

Thank you for taking your time off and reading my story! Will update sooner the next time onwards.


	4. Chapter 4

...

'I don't want the money… I want to study!' said the boy staring both hopefully and earnestly at Freddy, who was still too shocked to react.

Both Sachin and Freddy had just offered the little boy a 1000-rupee note and were preparing to leave when they heard the boy say this to them. 'Come with me. I'll take you home', said Freddy even without a second thought. He looked briefly at Sachin, and the later gave him an understanding nod. 'I will make sure you get the best education', he confirmed as he took the boy's little hands in his palm and gave it a squeeze.

The boy was plainly overjoyed and that was visible on his face as well. 'What owner sir say?' he asked. 'Don't worry about that. How can he make a small child work in a restaurant? I'll show him who I am' said Sachin, as he and Freddy gave the boy looks of assurance. 'By the way son, what is your name?' asked Freddy.

'Chotu', the little fellow replied as the three made their way towards the exit.

'Walking around and wasting the time is all you do!' the hotel owner almost screamed into Freddy's ear, scaring him out of his wits. 'Who me?' he asked, visibly surprised; rubbing the side of his ears. 'I am referring to this nitwit' the hotel owner, now almost boiling with anger retorted, pointing to the tiny trembling figure besides Freddy. 'How dare you call him a nitwit?' screamed an angry Sachin moving forward, ready to punch him. But Freddy intervened and placed a warning hand over him. So he said nothing more.

'Sharma-ji, I going with this sir to…', began Chotu, only to be stopped short by Freddy. 'You owe him no explanation', he affirmed giving Sharma-ji a dirty look. And much to the hotel owner's surprise, Sachin flung the wash cloth that the boy was using to clean the tables, at him, before the trio made a dramatic exit – the boy in the centre, flanked by two very happy officers, who had by then, taken over the role of his guardian angels.

It was close to midnight. And the three kept walking in silence. They could have afforded a taxi. But, No! They didn't want to take one. They wanted to walk. They wanted to stall time. They wanted to think!

Each had a different thought running through his head – Chotu was happy. No. 'Happy' was an underrated word. He was ecstatic. He was overjoyed. And he was delighted! All he could see in front of his eyes were books and teachers and blackboards and himself in a smart school uniform. He was looking forward to it.

Sachin was worried about Freddy. He seemed very content and happy after they had shared their troubles. But now again, he seemed to have gone back into a depression mode. There was another thing that worried him even more. They had left the bureau for lunch. It was almost close to midnight. They still had an hour's walk left. What would the others think of them? What would they think of him? They knew that Freddy wouldn't go out alone, and all by himself. Would they blame him for taking him out? For bringing him back so late? For trying to evade responsibility and pass on work? No. That wouldn't do. That wouldn't do at all. He had gone through so much of trouble, worked really hard to get into the CID team. Would this thoughtless act of his get them both into trouble? But again. You can't really consider the act thoughtless. He only tried to help Freddy out. And he succeeded in it. Well almost. Will all of that be considered? He sighed, and thought to himself 'I'll handle the situation as it comes' as he walked ahead.

Freddy was the most disturbed of the lot. He knew he was in serious trouble. ACP was sure to fire him for leading the new entrant Sachin, astray. Yes!. That's exactly what he would say. Daya and Abhijeet would laugh listening to all of this. Vivek and Tasha would whisper behind his back. And then there was Manisha. Oh God! What was he to tell her about the boy? Out of the sudden enthusiasm he had, he had agreed to take him home and sponsor his studies. But what if Manisha didn't like the idea? She would throw him out. And where could he go? The only friend he had was Sachin. But even he didn't have a home. He was living in a hostel. They were very strict about their timings and Sachin had just been telling him that he may have to spend the night at the bureau because the hostel shuts at 9 and no one can go in after that.

His eyes filled, right up to the brim with tears as he thought of the impending troubles. But he consoled himself thinking of the nice day he had. He had made a friend; he had been the ray of hope for a little boy who almost lost all hopes of enjoying childhood. He felt nice. He looked at their faces. Chotu was happy. And Sachin seemed content. That was all that mattered to him. He thanked the Lord, put on a brave smile, said a small prayer and walked ahead, his head held high.

As they neared the bureau, Sachin checked the time again. It was a half past one. They took longer than they expected. Chotu wasn't very fast. You couldn't blame him. Could you? He was small, and tired after the day's work. His fragile body couldn't take it all. And yet, he had politely refused when Sachin had offered to carry him back. He liked the boy. He was glad that Freddy decided to adopt him. He would have loved to do that too. Only, where could he keep him?

The roads were practically empty. The only sound that could be heard was the soft snores of the roadside dwellers. They could now see the bureau at a distance. Freddy began trembling again. His newfound courage seemed to have vanished. Some where in the distance a dog could be heard barking. His heart was beating faster. Sachin, he wanted to call out. But no sound would come out. His hands had gone cold. And Chotu noticed it.

'What happened sir?', he asked ' You scared of dog?'. 'Nnn… No!', he stammered. Sachin turned around to look and realized that Freddy was trembling inside out. 'Sir', he said. 'There is going to be no one in the bureau now. We only have to face them tomorrow. We can think of something by then!' he assured him.

'Well, if you say so!' said Freddy, still unsure.

He was scared. He didn't want to accept it. He knew he would have at least 10 missed calls on his mobile from Manisha. And he would have to call her back. Why did he forget to carry his mobile along? She wouldn't be half as mad if he had answered her calls on time. Even Sachin's mobile had drained out before they reached the restaurant. He suddenly realized that he hadn't informed anybody regarding his whereabouts.

And then there was Chotu. Should he tell her about him now? Or would it be better if she saw him first? And if she didn't let him in, where was he to go? What if he didn't call her then, and waited for morning? No. That would only make her go wild. The more he kept thinking of it, the more worried he got.

He didn't want to reach the bureau too early. He wanted to make sure that everyone had left. He aimlessly kept kicking pebbles on the road as he walked along. 'No sir, Don't!', began Sachin. But he was late. The pebble Freddy kicked, had hit one of the sleeping road dwellers, who angrily charged forward with his friends in tow.

It took Sachin a good 15 minutes of apologizing, and Rs. 2,500/- as compensation to convince them that it was an accident. They finally left, after threatening to beat up Freddy if he ever 'caused' these accidents again.

That was it. Freddy was quite sure that his day, rather night was ruined. He was a bit superstitious when it came to these matters. For the second time that day, he began howling. He sat on a ledge nearby and refused to move. Sachin didn't know what to say, and so he sat with his arm around Freddy.

Li'l Chotu was feeling very sleepy. His day had started at 4 in the morning. He had been working for almost 17 hours before Freddy decided to adopt him. He was finding it very difficult to keep his eyes open. And Sachin and Freddy seemed to go on talking. He did the best he could. He lay down by the side of the ledge and drifted into sleep – deep sleep.

He wasn't aware of anything that happened afterwards. He didn't realize that Sachin, who with his other hand was also supporting a confused Freddy, was carrying him. He didn't know that they had reached the lift and had pressed the button that would take them to the bureau.

And none of them knew what they had in store for them at the bureau.

...

A/N:

Thank you for taking your time off and reading my story! Concluding part – next week.


	5. Chapter 5

...

The lift finally halted at floor no. 7. Two men got out. One was carrying a sleeping child on his shoulder and whispering words of solace to the other. They tried to make no noise. They needn't have taken the trouble. The bureau was sound proofed. No noise would go in. Or come out.

They looked around. They couldn't see any light from the inside. Good. So the others had left for the day. Sachin turned around to give Freddy, who was still near the lift, the thumbs up sign, like they had earlier decided to show that all is well. He then pushed the door open with his shoulders. He couldn't use his hands for he was carrying Li'l Chotu with one and supporting him with the other. He didn't dare using his hands for the fear of walking him up. There was also a possibility of him being scared of the images of guns and skeletons that were all around the bureau. It was better to let him sleep undisturbed.

The door made a considerable amount of noise while being opened. The two entered the dark long passage that would lead them into the bureau. No sooner than they had entered the bureau, they were almost blinded by the lights inside. There was no escaping now. They had to go in. The others had already seen them. There was no time. They had to give in their explanations then.

But before anyone could say anything, something faster than the whirlwind, whizzed past Sachin, and flung itself at Freddy with such force, that the latter was pushed to the ground.

'Vivek!', he exclaimed, as he got up, 'That hurt!', he winced, rubbing the back of his head. Vivek was in no mood to listen. 'Where were you Freddy sir? For so long? I was looking out for you. Why didn't you tell me you were going out? Why didn't you tell any of us here? We were all worried. We were searching for you. Daya sir and Abhijeet sir have gone out looking for you. Bhabhi-ji is here. She has been crying since the time she came in. Dr. Tarika has just injected her with something so she will calm down', he said, all in one breadth, pointing to the semi conscious Manisha, lying on the couch, Tarika by her side.

'Manisha? What happened to her?' said Freddy as he ran to her side, his fears forgotten at the mention of Manisha's sickness.

Sachin stood still in the corner, carrying the sleeping Chotu, in his arms. Vivek went up to him too. He asked him the same set of questions he had asked Freddy. Then he went on to say how worried he and the others had gotten when they hadn't arrived even after 4 hours of leaving and how they had tried calling him, only to hear that the phone was unavailable. 'We were so worried for the two of you. We missed you sir.', he said finally rubbing his eyes.

His face was swollen and his eyes, red. It was clear. He had been crying. But he wouldn't admit it. Sachin stared at him in utter disbelief. He was on the phone informing Daya and Abhijeet about their safe return. Why, just that morning, both he and Freddy had been complaining about not being accepted. And here, they had just been out for half a day, and the whole team was worried for them. Two of the senior officers had even gone out in search of them. What more could they ask for? They had friends. Not the kind that only stuck to them when something good happened. But, the kind that actually cared.

He was happy. Who wouldn't be - with some nice friends around?

Just then the door opened and in came Daya and Abhijeet, the relief quite evident on the faces. Vivek immediately ran across to them, happy that they were all together again. Daya walked up to Sachin and gave him his contagious smile before saying 'Scared the shit out of us.. Didn't you?, and giving a pat on his back. 'Let me go and see that fellow Freddy', he said before going to where Freddy was sitting. Abhijeet, on the other hand gave him a broad mischievous smile 'Arre.. Sachin.. Bunking work in the first month of work itself.. eh?' he asked. 'Don't do too much of this bunking. This boy will soon learn the tricks of the trade', he joked pointing to Vivek.

It was then that Vivek noticed. He had been overjoyed at Sachin's and Freddy's safe arrival that he hadn't noticed the little person on Sachin shoulders. 'Who is this sir?' he asked, clearly confused. 'Did you have to deal with some kidnappers? Or is this a run-away case that you have just solved?' put in Abhijeet. ACP Pradyuman looked at Sachin with his eyebrows raised. True. Even he hadn't noticed him, until now. Too bad. It was an act, unexpected of him, an ACP.

'Let him have something to drink first Abhijeet.' said Dr. Tarika coming across to where they were standing. 'Why don't you say what happened. Freddy sir is just refusing to open his mouth', she added, looking at Sachin. 'Oh, Well! If you say so Tarika-ji', said Abhijeet, as three of them obediently followed her to the couch.

Freddy sat on the chair next to Manisha, who was still crying in relief and kept massaging her aching head. She was so worried about Freddy that she hadn't had any meal after her breakfast. She had also skipped some of her medicines and had been crying for over 3 hours - the result : a throbbing headache.

Dr. Salunkhe had just come back from the lab. He had gone to get some sugar and coffee, so they could all have a drink. The night was cold, and some hot coffee would be the perfect choice. Ever since the day, about a year ago, when Dr. Tarika had a cold and Abhijeet had asked for an electric kettle, the doctor had made sure he kept one at hand. He had also been contemplating on buying a mini refrigerator so he could store some ginger, but decided against it, least it blasts owing to some chemical leak. He didn't want the fellow, Abhijeet, as much as he disliked their relationship, blaming him for not looking after his so-called 'beloved'.

'Does it take you forever to get a few things from the lab Salunkhe?' began ACP. 'It has been hours since you left, and your lab is just one floor above and you….' he went on. Salunkhe pretended not to hear him. He went to Freddy and began enquiring about the days' events, when ACP Pradyuman, who wasn't very used to being ignored, lost it.

'Sssaaallunnkkhheeeeee!', he yelled.

It made absolutely no difference to Dr. Salunkhe, or the other officers, who were by now, very used to this. But Manisha, who had never experienced this before, almost jumped out of her skin. And Chotu, who was rudely woken up from his sleep, afraid that he was going to be thrashed, started wailing much to everyone's dismay.

'What have you done sir?' asked Freddy, quite annoyed at ACP Pradyuman for having woken up the poor boy from his sleep. He had refused to open his mouth until then, but couldn't really bear to see Chotu in distress. He got up and went over to him, who was by now surrounded by the entire team – Abhijeet, Daya, Salunkhe, Tarika, Vivek, Sachin and of course, Freddy. He stared at each of them open mouthed, as Sachin introduced each of them. He shivered a little when the ACP came nearer, but soon got over his fears.

Tarika made them all some hot coffee and Abhijeet brought out some chocolates for Chotu. They all sat around the table, coffee mugs in their hands and geared themselves up to listen to the story. Chotu, who was very happy with the chocolates he got, something he had hardly eaten, firmly planted himself on Abhijeet. Anyone who gives such nice chocolates must be nice too, he decided.

After much prodding and pushing, Freddy finally came out with his version of the story – how Manisha and the others had teased him and laughed at him. They all felt very guilty when they realized that they had actually hurt Freddy when all they meant was to pull his legs. Tarika looked at Abhijeet, and he put his head down in shame. This was something that she had always been insistent on – Knowing your limits about teasing. She had warned him many a times that his teasing was getting out of hand. And he had never listened to her. 'Sorry', he said, half to himself.

Everyone looked towards his side. Abhijeet was too ashamed to look at them in the face. He kept staring at his feet. 'Just say it aloud Abhijeet. Let Freddy hear it!', said Tarika. She had heard him. She wanted Freddy to hear him too. It wasn't right on his part to hurt Freddy in the first place. So it was only fair that he apologized. And this time, she was determined to make him.

'Sorry Freddy', said Abhijeet meekly, glad that Chotu, by sitting on his lap, was covering half his face. Freddy was surprised. The apology had come in when he least expected it. And being the good soul he was, 'It's alright sir. Absolutely alright.' was all he could say. Inspired by Abhijeet, the others too apologized to Freddy, who was by then, too overwhelmed to react.

Sachin then confessed about his past. He very reluctantly told them all that he was an orphan. As he paused expecting to hear some sneering remarks from the others, he was in for a surprise; something he hadn't bargained for at all. 'Ha ha haaah ha…. Welcome to the club mate! Welcome!' said Daya. Everyone around him was laughing, but this time, there was a difference. They weren't laughing at him because he was an orphan – they were laughing at him because he was afraid to say that he was one. 'So what if you are an orphan, Sachin? I am one too. Abhijeet doesn't have parents either. We do not judge you based on your lineage here at CID', said Daya, reaching over to put his arms around Sachin. Sachin was relieved to hear this. He had never been a recipient to this sort of a welcome ever before. He was happy. He was satisfied.

And then came the most important discussion of the evening, rather morning. 'You still haven't told me who this is' said ACP pointing at Chotu. 'There he goes again. Wonder why he cant be more patient!' mumbled Salunkhe to himself. 'What? Salunkhe, if you have something to say, then say it to me! And louder this time!', screamed ACP. But before Dr. Salunkhe could retort, Abhijeet, realizing that Chotu was feeling uncomfortable, asked Freddy to go on with his narration.

'Well, I… I….' fumbled Freddy. He couldn't bring himself to say it. Manisha was staring at him intently. He knew that look. It spelt D-A-N-G-E-R. 'I… I….' he went on. He couldn't say it. No. He couldn't.

'What I… I… Freddy? Out with it.. And soon.. We don't have all day!' yelled ACP.'Now what did I say? This man is getting more and more impatient with every passing day! Signs of old age. He ought to retire.' put in Dr. Salunkhe. Not wanting to say anything more, ACP gave him a dirty stare.

'I.. I adopted him sir!' Freddy said finally. He suddenly felt at ease. The fear just vanished. He felt calm. He looked around. Everyone kept staring at him. Openmouthed. Vivek was the first one to recover. 'Really sir?', he asked. 'Really!' Freddy affirmed. He then looked at Manisha. She had risen from her chair and was coming towards him.

He found himself rising as she came nearer. She caught him by his arms and shook him as she asked, 'You what?'

'I adopted him', he said.

He couldn't believe himself. He had said it. He saw her looking at the boy. He saw her moving towards him. There was anger in her eyes. She did not look like the Manisha he knew. She looked different. She looked hurt. Her eyes were now on Chotu.

Abhijeet felt the tension build up. He could feel Chotu's little bones stiffening, his hands going cold and his week body shivering. He put his arms around to comfort him. He could see Manisha stand in front. Her eyes on the child. She came forwards and pulled him down as the others looked on, unsure about how to react. She lifted him up, put him on the table, scanned him top to bottom and finally, twitching her nose, said 'You need a bath. Come home with me and I'll give you one.' Turning to Freddy she said, ' You'll have to drive us to the textile store the first thing in the morning. We need to buy him some clothes. My son should be better dressed!'

Freddy couldn't believe his ears. He heaved a sigh of relief, and so did the others. He started laughing. The others followed him. They were all happy for Chotu. In fact they were overjoyed. He had just found himself the best family. What better things could he ask for in life? There was no more order in the bureau. They had all started talking amongst themselves. All, but Sachin.

Freddy and Manisha were discussing about Chotu – 'I will buy him a toy car' said Freddy. 'No, a toy bike is smarter. My friend Priyanka's son has a bike', countered Manisha.

Tarika was lecturing Abhijeet and Daya - she wanted to make sure that they understood the difference between teasing and insulting. She wasn't planning to give up until they did.

Vivek was playing with Li'l Chotu – putting him on his shoulders, pulling him down – in a world of their own, they were having fun.

ACP and Salunkhe were, as usual bickering about something trivial. 'I will name him Nakul', he said. And that got Salunkhe started. 'Freddy and Manisha can decide what they want to name their son. You can't order that. He may be working under you. But doesn't give you the right to name his son!' he said. 'Salunkhe, I said, I am calling him Nakul. That's final!' argued ACP. 'Oh well, you can call him that. We will all call him something better' said Salunkhe, not wanting to give in either.

Amidst all the loud noise and clatter, Sachin stood alone, beaming. He felt his eyes going moist. This time though, they were tears of joy. He had friends. He was accepted. And so was Freddy. He smiled. He could feel tears flowing, down his cheeks to his mouth. And to him, they tasted sweet!

"All's well, that ends well", thought he, "even When Life takes an unexpected turn!"

...

A/N:

Ok. So like I said before, this is my first attempt at writing a story. There may be a lot many errors, which I'm sure, I will eventually learn to understand and avoid.

To those of you who like it, I'm honored, and to those who don't, I'll do my best in making my future works better.

Am not really sure about how the story has turned out, but Thanks to two great well wishers, whose constant support and encouragement, was what instilled in me the confidence to write and inspired me to continue. Thank you girls for reviewing every single chapter and showing that you really care. Love you loads.


End file.
